The Sword of the King
by Hidge
Summary: AU ficlet set in medieval times. Lord Avery and Lady Kepner are on opposite sides of a great war. So what happens when April finds herself in enemy camp? Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, this was going to be a one shot for my AU series but then it kind of took on a life of it's own. I kind of wanted to do something where Jackson "preyed" on April. Lol. It's fun to write something a little different. This one was also slightly inspired by _Game of Thrones_.**

**Enjoy! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters but I own some of this idea.**

* * *

"We are not sending our daughter east!" Karen Kepner bellowed.

"But she could be Queen one day!" Her husband, Joseph, argued.

"I don't care! I won't do it!"

April sat outside of her parents' bedroom and listened to them fight for what felt like the hundredth consecutive night. They had been arguing about the same issue night after night, sometimes they screamed at each other until dawn. Her older sister, Elizabeth, had come of age three years ago and was still not married. The heir to throne had come of age just recently and was requesting her hand in marriage. Her father, the high lord and ruler north of the river, did not like the royal family or their allies, but he was willing to agree to the marriage under a certain set of circumstances. Those terms included that all lands north of the river remain independent, he would rule over them without answering to the King, like his father had done; he would continue to maintain and train his own army in order to defend the vast territory, and he would still supply the throne and the people of the capital city with plenty of food from their crops and waters. April didn't fully understand the politics of the world that she lived in but she knew that there was a lot of tension between the royal family and her family.

And this impending betrothal was obviously contributing to increased tension. King Mark Sloan wanted to show his kingdom that the people north and south of the river were united and this marriage was the perfect way to do it. She understood her parents' reservations though. Prince Edward was incredibly handsome but he had a vile reputation. She had heard that he was incredibly disrespectful and impulsive, and had already gotten into the habit of frequenting whore houses.

But what other choice did her parents have? They couldn't say no to the _King_.

"Edward Sloan is a brat, I agree with you there," her father responded. "But us refusing to agree to this marriage may lead to war."

Her mother laughed, "You've been itching to go to war with the throne since we were married."

April's breath hitched at those words and she slowly stood up. War? Her father had a lot of men, a lot of _good_ men, but so did the King. The King's army was full of noble knights but they hadn't trained together and fought alongside each other many times before like her father's men had. But the Sword of the King, the King's most trusted solider and the leader of his army, was legendary. He was from as far south of the river as you could get, a lord from a noble house with a certain reputation for seeking gold and glory. She had never seen him but she felt as if she had been hearing stories about him her entire life. It was said that he could beat a man in a fight with one hand tied behind his back. It was said that he didn't wear armour because he knew that he would never need it. It was said that he could slice half a dozen men in half with one swing of his sword.

How were you supposed to win a war with a man like that fighting against you?

"A war would secure our independence," she heard her father mutter.

April ran as fast as she could towards her older sister's room and didn't even bother to knock on the door. "Libby, I think we're going to war," she revealed breathlessly.

Her sister stared at her in surprise and it was the man in the room that April hadn't noticed that spoke. "What?"

April furrowed her brow in confusion as she looked at one of her father's most prized soldiers. One of her father's most prized soldiers that was in her sister's private chambers at a very inappropriate hour, wearing his bed clothes. "Owen Hunt? What are you doing here?"

The man that was only a few years older than her blushed and stuttered a response. "I-I...uh...I...was just checking on Lady Elizabeth, my lady."

"At this hour?" April asked suspiciously.

Libby jumped in before Owen could offer another awkward answer. "What did you say when you first came in?"

"Mother and father aren't going to let you marry the Prince. We're going to war."

"What?" Owen asked again in shock.

Libby cleared her throat and looked at him meaningfully. "Owen, can you leave my sister and I?"

He crossed an arm over his chest and bowed obediently. "Yes, my lady. I bid you good night." The strapping young man with stern features and red hair left the room and Libby turned to her younger sister with a smile. "You were saying?"

April narrowed her eyes. "What did I just walk in on?"

Libby waved her hand dismissively as she sat on the edge of her bed. "Nothing. What is all this talk of war?" She asked with an awkward laugh. April remained quiet and she sighed in annoyance. "Come and sit next to me, Blossom."

April caved in at the use of her childhood nickname and sat down next to her sister. After a purposeful pause, she told Libby everything that she had heard their mother and father discussing.

* * *

Two days later it was official: the Kepners were in open rebellion. They were at war with the King and all those who were loyal to the throne. Alice was still a little young, the mere age of ten, but the other three Kepner daughters were fully aware of what war meant and so they all breathed a sigh of relief when the thousands of men of the river marched to Kepner caste to swear their loyalty to their father.

April knew that she had no reason to be surprised. Her father was an honourable man, a kind man, and he treated the people in his service very well. There was no better man in all the land to serve.

She watched from her bedroom window as Owen trained boys in the yard. They were younger than her...the boys holding the swords and hanging on Owen's every word. What were the chances of those boys surviving in war? Their swords probably weighed more than they did. And what if they came upon the Sword of the King? They would surely be dead then.

She felt waves of guilt and pity rush over her before she was seized with fear. More fear than she had ever felt in her life. This war could be the end of her family. The Kepner family line was already in danger of ending too early. Her father did not have any brothers and he had fathered no sons. He claimed that his four daughters were a blessing but she knew that not having a son was a burden for her father. It was one more thing that he had to worry about while he was fighting this war. The next lord of Kepner castle and ruler north of the river would be Libby's husband, if she ever married that is. Maybe her husband would be one of the lords that had rallied at her father's side, a distinguished man who knew how to lead.

April looked down into the yard and caught sight of her sister standing on the fringes of the circle of boys. She was watching Owen Hunt as intently as they were and April wasn't so naive that she believed her sister's dismissive responses about the solider. Her older sister was in love...with a commoner. Owen was brave and kind, loyal and true, but he was still low born. They would never be allowed to be married.

Perhaps the next ruler north of the river would be _her_ husband.

If her parents ever thought that her marriage should be a priority...

She decided that she needed some fresh air so she spun around and made her way towards her bedroom door. She opened the door and was startled to come face to face with her father.

"Blossom," he smiled broadly. "Where are you off to?"

"I was going to go for a walk."

"Maybe not right now, darling," he advised.

April sighed loudly. She knew that her father would think it wasn't safe but she had hoped to be able to sneak out of the castle. "Will I ever be able to go for a walk again?"

Her father frowned and guided her back into her room with a hand on her shoulder. "Of course you will," he said confidently. "This war will be over in due time. I promise."

April continued to frown, her father could promise her a lot of things and she would believe him, but she didn't believe him this time. Who knew how long this war would last? Who knew if they would even win the war? And if she could never take a walk around the grounds, or go for a horseback ride along the countryside then she would certainly die of boredom. She loved going to the nearby towns to attend the markets, it gave her a much needed break from being a lady of the castle. She always felt as if this life didn't truly suit her. Libby had been groomed to rule; she had just been taught to look pretty and act proper.

Sometimes she wished that she was someone else. She looked beyond the walls of the castle to the rolling green hills that surrounded them. But this is all that she had ever known. She had never been south of the river.

Her father mistook the uncomfortable expression on her face for worry. "The walls of this castle can withstand an attack from ten thousand men."

"I know," she answered. She had been hearing that since she was five.

"And we won't let them get this close anyway," her father continued. He leaned down and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Don't fret about the war, Blossom. It's not your concern." He told her before he departed.

She sighed loudly when she could no longer hear her father's footsteps. That was the problem. She wanted this war to be her concern. She wanted to do something to help.

* * *

The first few months of the war moved incredibly fast and agonizingly slow. The Kepners were able to defend the river but the throne's men won all of the battles when the men pressed south of the river. April had grown restless quickly. She hadn't been outside the stronghold of Kepner castle in what felt like a lifetime. Libby helped their mother rule the castle and Kimberly looked after Alice; there was nothing for her to do and she hated feeling as if she wasn't useful.

Eventually, she convinced her mother that she would be safe helping out in some of the smaller villages closer to the river. After all, there was an army between her and the King's men. They trusted their defences and thought that their second eldest daughter would be safe. Joseph Kepner and his advisers certainly had not anticipated small, organized raids. They figured that the King would want to attack in one large strike. But the King's army had decided to follow up a string of small battle victories by raiding villages north of the river, hoping to break opposition morale.

One of those villages happened to be the one that April had moved to where she had been helping with the harvest and tending to mild wounds.

The King's men barrelled through on their horses without warning. They killed the men mercilessly, gathered all of the food and supplies that they could find, and set torches to the homes. She had anticipated being killed on the spot, especially after seeing what they had done to everyone else in the village. But for some unknown, unexplained reason, a man in royal blue armour yanked her by the hair and laid her at the feet of the battlefield captain. They clearly did not know who she was so why were they letting her live?

"That's a pretty one," the man commented. "Bring her to the Queen and if she doesn't have any use for her then I'm sure someone's earned her."

April knew exactly what those words meant and it caused her to feel sick to her stomach. She almost wished that they had just killed her like so many others.

The King's army had set up camp less than one hundred leagues from the river. The number of tents took her breath away. It was a sea of blue and white, the royal colours, for as far as the eye could see. Many lords and their men had rallied behind the King. She had kept her mouth shut for the entire ride to camp, knowing that revealing her name would surely mean death or worse, and she stood just as silent when she was brought before the Queen, along with three other girls who were too young, too scared, and too stupid to realize that she was a Kepner.

She had only seen the Queen a handful of times in her young life and she couldn't get over how beautiful she was. Her red hair was a few shades darker than her own and her features were so striking. She had heard that the Queen was quite kind as well but April did not know yet whether or not she agreed.

The Queen did have the four of them bathed and dressed by her handmaidens. April was put in a silk gown and a green dress. The Queen didn't press either of them for information, April had still managed to keep her identity a secret, but she did speak the words that caused her to close her eyes in defeat.

"Bring the three of them to my husband's guard," she stated as she looked at the other three girls. She paused before she turned to April and gazed at her with thoughtful eyes. "Bring her to the Sword of the King. I think he'll like her."

April opened her mouth to argue, but she knew better. Maybe this is what she had to do to stay alive, and she knew that she wouldn't be harmed by others if she belonged to a lord that was so important to the King.

She was given a plate of chess, bread, and grapes and was promptly escorted to a nearby tent by a young guard. The solider led her inside and announced his presence. "For you, my lord."

April raised her head and her breath caught in her throat as she gazed at the man lying in the bed. She had heard many things about Lord Avery, the Sword of the King, and many of them concerned his looks, but she was still entirely unprepared for his beauty, and for his youth. She had always imagined him much older, perhaps because he had been the talk of the kingdom since he was fourteen. But he was young. He had a youthful smile and beautiful olive skin that covered large, taut muscles. He was tall with long limbs. His strong jaw was littered with a day's worth of stubble but he obviously shaved the hair on the top of his head. She could just imagine the feeling of running her palm over his scalp. And his eyes. His eyes were so clear and bright that she could see the flecks of blue in them from her place at the mouth of the tent.

Those eyes widened in curiosity as he looked over her. "From?"

"The Queen, my lord."

He nodded slowly, the Queen had always known what he liked. "You may leave now."

The solider left obediently and April could feel the heat of Lord Avery's piercing green-eyed gaze fixed solely on her.

* * *

**A/N: The next chapter picks up here! Please leave a review! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! I'm so glad that you guys are open to this idea! Rating for a reason ;)**

**Disclaimer: Same**

* * *

"Are you hungry, my lord?" April asked quietly after a lengthy pause. He held a cup of what she assumed to be wine in his hand, but he wasn't eating anything, and she had been given food to bring to him. She tried not to squirm uncomfortably under his gaze but it was difficult.

He slowly shook his head. He was hungry, but not for food, not after looking at her. "You can lay that on the table."

She did as she was told and then clasped her hands together in front of her. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do...well she did... but she didn't know how...and she didn't want to. She didn't even know the man! And he had probably killed dozens of her father's men. She continued to feel his eyes on her and she was afraid to meet his gaze. She was afraid that those eyes of his would pull her in and make her forget that she was supposed to hate him.

Jackson could tell that she was incredibly nervous and there were only two possible reasons why, either she had no experience in these matters or she had heard certain things about him. Perhaps both. Most likely both.

"What have you heard about me?" He asked casually as he propped himself up on his elbows. He thought about getting out of bed but the sight of him stark naked would probably frighten her more than she already was.

"They say that you're the best sword this side of the sea," she answered meekly.

"Both sides I reckon," he quipped with a grin. "What else?"

She looked down at her feet as she shuffled them awkwardly. "Well, they say that you're quite handsome."

"So, _you_ don't think I'm handsome?" He asked cheekily, just to get a reaction from her.

She blushed fiercely. "Um, no, my lord, I didn't...I didn't mean it like that...I-I think that you're quite handsome too."

She couldn't believe that he had trapped her like that, she had thought that she was cleverer than that.

"Good," he replied with a playful smile. At least she seemed a tad more comfortable now. "Join me on the bed? Help yourself to some of the food you brought me if you want," he said as he placed his wine cup on the table beside his bed. She hesitantly took a step forward and he noticed that she moved not unlike a skittish wild animal. "You know things about me and yet I know nothing about you," he began when she sat down next to him. "Hardly seems fair."

"There's not much to know," she whispered shyly. She was surprised that he wanted to talk to her at all, and she was trying to ignore how close his thigh was to hers, and the feeling of his hot breath on the back of her neck. But it was very difficult. She had never been this close to a man before, and he was very handsome, and he definitely had a certain charm about him. It was easy to warm up to him after only talking to him for a few minutes, but she knew that he only wanted one thing from her and it made her uneasy. Her mother had always told her that she should not lay with a man until she's married. Not that she had any choice in the matter in this situation.

Jackson pushed back her lovely auburn hair so that he could have access to her neck. Her skin was just as lovely. He would have to thank the men who raided Arrington today for their choice. She certainly was a beauty. "Let's start with your name," he encouraged.

"April," she finally revealed. "My name is April." He, like so many others in this camp, seemed to have no idea who she was, and he was clearly too distracted to put the pieces together.

"Pretty," he murmured as he placed his lips against the nape of her neck. "You were born in the Spring?"

She nodded as a shiver ran down her spine. "Yes," she gasped.

"How many Springs ago?" He asked curiously.

"Seventeen," she whispered.

He gave the soft skin of her neck another kiss before he fell back onto the bed. "Seventeen," he repeated to himself. "You should be wed. Are you wed? Were you betrothed in your homeland?" She shook her head. "And why not?" He found it hard to believe that no man would want to take her for his wife.

"My parents were more worried about finding a husband for my older sister," she answered honestly. She bravely turned her head so that she could look down at him. He looked like a boy grinning up at her but she knew that he was very much a man, the hardened muscles of his torso that were exposed made that very clear. "What about you?" She spoke after chewing on her bottom lip. "How old are you? Why aren't you wed?" She may be asking too many questions but her curiosity had gotten the best of her. Her father had always called her too inquisitive.

Jackson smiled to himself. She was finally participating in the conversation willingly. "I have seen twenty-three Winters and I am not wed because I'm a solider. I've been fighting since I could hold a sword. My father swore his loyalty to the Sloans so I must do the same. My life is no life for a wife."

Although his mother still badgered him about marrying a lady of King Sloan's court. She wanted him to fully accept his role as Lord of Fountain Head, the nicest area of the south, and create many _many _little heirs.

"What about when the war is over?" She asked shyly.

He smiled at her innocence. "Maybe." He grabbed the hand resting on her leg and brought it to his lips. He knew that he was going to have to take his time with this one. In order to enjoy her, he was going to have to be patient. "You may go back to the Queen's tent now, she'll find you a place to sleep, but come and visit me again tomorrow night, and pull your hair back. I want to see your face."

She nodded and gasped in surprise. "Okay."

* * *

April spent the next day in Queen Addison's tent with several other girls. They were washing clothes and even though April had no idea what she was doing, she followed the lead of the other girls who had clearly done this chore before. She kept her head down and did the work as best as she could.

Halfway through the day, another lord that she had grown up hearing tales about entered the tent to pay a visit to the Queen. Lord Derek Shepherd was just as handsome as she had imagined him to be and he appeared just as gallant as well.

He got down onto one knee as he spoke, "You called on me, my Queen."

April had expected to see some respect or affection in the Queen's gaze but instead all that she saw was disdain. She would have thought that the Queen would like one of the King's oldest friends. She had thought wrong.

"Yes, Lord Shepherd," she began slowly. "I was just wondering how your wife is doing."

Lord Shepherd tensed at the Queen's words and April knew why. He had married a Grey and the Greys had always been loyal to her family.

"My wife is excellent," he finally answered with a smile. "She is with child again."

"And her father and his men have ridden to Kepner castle."

He tensed again but his obvious discomfort and anger did not seep into his voice. "What Thatcher Grey decides to do is his business and what I decide to do is mine. I have known the King my entire life, of course I'm going to fight for him."

The Queen pursed her lips in displeasure. "Still, it is disconcerting that you are married to a traitor."

The dashing lord instinctively reached for the hilt of his sword. "My wife is not a traitor," he replied in a low, dangerous voice.

"We shall see," the Queen answered with a smirk.

Lord Shepherd finally showed his full displeasure and angrily spun on his heel. He left the tent with his cloak twirling behind him and April looked on in shock. It appeared as if there was some discontent amongst those that the King trusted the most. The Queen and Lord Shepherd did not care for each other and she found it quite curious.

And surely it was something that her father would benefit from knowing. But how could she get word to him?

* * *

Later, she did as she was told and ventured into Lord Avery's tent the same time as the night before. Once again, he was lying in his bed with the sheet pooled around his waist and a wine cup in his hand.

"Hi," he smiled happily upon seeing her.

She bit down on her bottom lip shyly. That smile of his made her stomach flutter. "Hi."

"How was your day?"

"It was fine," she shrugged. "Yours?"

"Dull," he answered with a dramatic sigh. He considered any day that he wasn't on the battlefield dull. "I thought about you though," he told her with a grin.

She chuckled softly as she felt her cheeks heat. "I'm sure that you had more important things to think about, my lord."

He shook his head as he sat up. "I disagree." During the King's war council meetings all that he had been able to think about was her long hair and soft skin, and her unclaimed body that he had yet to touch. Being patient was very frustrating. "Would you like to join me on the bed again?"

She nodded before tentatively closing the space between them. She sat beside him and he instantly sat up and raised his hands to cup her face. She had pulled her hair back into a braid, like he had asked, and it showed off every inch of her lovely face, from her strong jaw and plump lips to her cute nose and nicely shaped eyes. "You are breathtakingly beautiful," he whispered softly.

April gulped and blushed as he continued to stare at her intensely. She could say the same exact thing about him. She had never seen a prettier man in her life...his eyes and his teeth...she wasn't even sure if he was real. "Thank you," she squeaked.

He smiled as he looped an arm around her waist and pulled her body closer to his. "You are very welcome." He brushed his nose along hers and as the tip of his thumb grazed her lips, he listened to her breath hitch. "Have you ever been with a man?"

She shook her head and gasped nervously, "No."

He hummed thoughtfully and licked his lips. "I didn't think so." He knew a virgin when he saw one and it was why he was taking his time with her.

"Sorry," she apologized, "that's probably not what you want."

"Shhh," he whispered before she could say anything else. "Why do you think they brought you to me?" He lowered his head and placed a kiss in the crook of her neck. "Would you like to sleep here tonight?"

"I don't know if that's a good idea, my lord," she answered shakily.

"Why not?" He asked with a chuckle as he continued to kiss her neck. "I will behave like an honourable gentleman, I swear."

She laughed nervously as his hand slipped down to her waist to join the other. His hands weren't demanding and insistent, like she knew some men's hands to be, they were soft and caring. She was beginning to think that Lord Avery wasn't half as rude and brutish as her father made him out to be. He actually seemed pretty sweet. She tentatively placed both of her hands on his face and raised his head so that his attention was no longer focused on her neck. She took a deep breath before she closed the gap between them and pressed her lips to his. "Okay," she murmured.

He smiled as he could still feel her soft lips on his. "Okay," he repeated. "You may take off your clothes, if you wish, or you may keep them on."

She blushed fiercely yet again. "You sleep...?"

"In the nude, yes," he grinned.

She glanced down at the sheet that was covering his lower body and became even more embarrassed. She could see the trail of fine hair that started at his navel and now she knew exactly where the line of hair ended and that it was covered by a flimsy sheet. "Oh."

"The sheets feel nice on your bare skin," he smirked as he lay down on his back and stretched his arms above his head. "Get ready for bed," he encouraged.

April stood up and slowly removed the dress that she was wearing. She elected to leave on her nightgown and Jackson didn't mind, the material of her gown was thin enough that his imagination could do the rest of the work. It clung to her every curve and fell well above her knee. She returned to the bed beside him and began to take down her hair. Jackson quickly pulled her against his chest and began to play with her hair himself.

"So so pretty," he muttered as he moved his fingers through her auburn tresses. "You have such gorgeous hair."

"Thank you," she smiled to himself. She comfortably settled against his chest as he lay against the mountains of pillows at the top of his bed. "Some of the things they say about you aren't true, you know," she told him quietly.

"Like what?" He asked in amusement.

She thoughtfully chewed on her bottom lip before she spoke. She wasn't sure if telling him these things was the wisest move, but it's what she wanted to do. "People north of the river say that you and your family are hard and cold, pompous, and savagery when angered. They say that you only care about gold and your name. They say you have too much pride."

He considered her words thoughtfully. "And you don't think those things are true?"

She tilted her head back so that she could see his face. "You've been nothing but sweet and kind to me," she told him with a small smile.

He gently lifted her chin and captured her mouth in a kiss. "Well," he began as he continued to kiss her. "Maybe those things _are_ true, but it seems that I have a soft spot for you." He spread his fingers across her neck and gingerly slipped his tongue into her mouth. It was clear that she was uncomfortable with the intrusion at first, but after a moment her tongue started to play with his.

She was a fast learner.

He pulled away with a happy hum and she curled up on his chest. She rested her head just below his chin and her hand on his abdomen. He stroked her hair until she fell asleep and then he allowed himself to close his eyes.

* * *

April awoke as soon as the morning sun streamed through the weak spots in the tent. She stretched, and as she did so, her bare feet grazed along the legs of the man beneath her. He squeezed her waist in response and she knew that he was awake as well. She looked up at him and smiled happily. His pretty eyes were glazed over and fresh stubble littered his jaw once again; he looked quite handsome after waking, but that didn't really surprise her. "Good morning."

"Morning," he responded gruffly. "How did you sleep?"

"Good," she smiled, "you?" She couldn't deny that his bed, with its silk sheets and bear furs, was very comfortable. It reminded her of her bed at home.

"Better than I have in months," he answered honestly. "For once I didn't dream of war."

She looked down at his chest to hide her smile and ran her fingers along his muscled pectorals. "What did you dream?" She enquired coyly.

He chuckled huskily as he grasped the material of her silk nightgown near her hip. "Oh I think you know." He buried his face in her neck and she giggled as he peppered kisses along her skin. His hand moved down to caress the bare skin of her thigh beneath the hem of her nightgown and he was rewarded with a soft mewl.

She wantonly grasped his shoulders and climbed into his lap on instinct. She gasped when she felt his hard, naked manhood against her. She slid back towards his knees so that she could look at him and her eyes widened in awe. She had never seen a man like this before and it wasn't exactly how she had pictured it in her head. He was much bigger than she thought men were supposed to be. "My lord, I—"

He quickly sat up so that they were face to face. "While you're sharing my bed, don't call me my lord," he whispered as he cradled her lower back.

"What will I call you then?" She whispered back.

"Jackson," he smiled. "My mother called me Jackson."

"Jackson," she repeated seductively. "I like that name."

His grip on her tightened and he grit his teeth in arousal. She was incredibly tempting without even knowing it. The way that she purred his name had just about done him in. He kissed her hungrily and pulled her against him so that she was sitting atop of him but he was still not inside of her. "And I am beginning to like everything about you, lovely." She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and kissed him back while swivelling her hips against him.

She gasped as the tip of him brushed against her, underneath her nightgown, and it caused goosebumps to rise on her skin. This felt nice but she knew that laying with a man required much more than what they were doing now.

He groaned and nipped at her bottom lip. He wasn't even inside of her yet and he felt as if he was about to finish like a boy with his first whore.

When a voice called to him from outside the door of his tent, he wasn't sure if he was incredibly grateful or incredibly angry. He hated to be interrupted but maybe it was for the best. "What do you want?" He called back.

"King Mark requests your presence, Lord Avery. He says it's of the utmost importance."

Jackson sighed before he responded. "Tell him I'll be there in a moment."

He kissed April again before he guided her down onto her back and slipped out of the bed. "Sadly, I have to go, lovely. Duty calls."

She watched him discreetly as he pulled on his trousers. He really was a fine looking man. "Do you want me to come back tonight?"

He turned to her with a grin once he had pulled the rest of his clothes on. "I want you to come back every night."

She giggled softly and he gave her one last kiss before he left his tent and headed for the King's.

Jackson pushed the material of the door aside and announced himself, "You summoned me, my King."

Mark glanced up from his war board and smirked. It was easy to tell from his young friend's facial expression and tone of voice that he was annoyed. "I interrupted time with your present, didn't I?"

Jackson ignored him but couldn't prevent his boyish grin from showing. "Do you have a new plan?" He asked to change the subject as he stepped towards the map spread out on the table.

Mark cackled and slapped the younger man on the back. "You are enjoying her, aren't you?"

Jackson decided to finally throw the man a bone. "Yes, I am, thank you."

"Well," Mark shrugged, "you deserve to have a little fun after all the battles you've won for me." He cleared his throat before he gazed down at the map. "And speaking of battles, two thousand of Kepner's men are waiting on the other side of the river, hoping to scare us away."

"And you want to attack?" Jackson asked with a furrowed brow.

Mark nodded slowly. "Four days from now. Old man Kepner still isn't taking me seriously so let's show him that he can't protect the river. He's waiting for us to fail and we're not going to fail."

Jackson looked at the map thoughtfully. It was certainly possible to accomplish, but like every battle, it wouldn't be easy. "How many men?" He only had five hundred men under his command but they were five hundred incredible fighters.

Mark scoffed as he walked around the table. "One of your men is worth ten of his," he paused before he added, "but take Shepherd with you."

Shepherd had one thousand men, and a lot of good men, but he also had a lot of boys.

So Jackson spent the rest of the afternoon training those boys as best as he could. By the time he lowered himself into the steaming hot water of his bath, almost every muscle in his body was sore. He hadn't spent an afternoon that way in a very long time. It wasn't the same ache that you had after a battle, it was much worse. There was no satisfaction of victory, just tired limbs and a heavy mind.

He closed his eyes and winced as he stretched his legs and draped his arms over the sides of the tub. "You're hurt?" A soft voice called.

He opened his eyes again and smiled at the young woman standing at the mouth of his tent. "I'm just tired, beautiful. It's nothing a hot bath won't fix."

She stared at him skeptically as she approached him and picked up the scrub brush sitting on the table beside him. She knelt down behind him and started to clean his back. She had never done something like this before either but it felt natural. "I don't believe you," she spoke quietly. "I saw you wielding your sword all day."

"Keeping an eye on me?" He asked teasingly.

"No," she blushed. "I don't have much to do here in case you haven't notice."

He laughed as he grabbed her hand and tugged her arm over his shoulder. He ran the tip of his nose along her cheek as he whispered, "You know what you're supposed to do here." He kissed her on the cheek before he said, "Join me."

"In the bath?" She squeaked.

"Yeah," he chuckled, "take off your clothes. Let me see you."

She shook her head and continued to wash his back. "Your back and neck aren't clean yet," she protested.

"Have you changed your mind since this morning?" He asked curiously. She had seemed more than willing to be intimate earlier. Had he done something wrong?

"No," she answered quietly. She had thought, perhaps naively, that he would want to take her quickly, to bury himself in her and be done with it. She had thought that it wouldn't require her to bare herself to him. She had thought that she would be able to leave her nightgown on. But since their first meeting, Lord Avery had appeared much more interested in her than she thought he would be so she wasn't sure why she was surprised. She sighed before she laid the brush down and rested her chin on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, my lord, I'll disrobe in a moment."

"I told you not to call me that," he groaned.

"Sorry," she grimaced.

"It's okay," he sighed as he reached a hand back to stroke her face. "Just join me in the bath...please."

It was the word 'please' that hit her the hardest. A man of his stature and status was essentially begging her for something, a woman that was supposed to be his property. Apparently, she had a little bit of power over him...but she wasn't about to test it...not yet anyway. She stood up straight and quickly dropped her clothes to the floor. She stepped around to the front of the tub and she tried not to blush as she felt his eyes all over her. She gathered all of her hair with her hand and pulled it to one side as she carefully stepped into the water and sat across from him. She offered him a small smile and he stared back at her with a hungry expression.

He waited a moment before he extended his hand towards her. "Come closer, lovely." She tentatively placed her hand in his and he pulled her into his lap. She comfortably settled her knees on either side of his thighs and rested her hands on his chest. "You are so gorgeous. How's the water?" He asked after licking his lips.

If she had even the slightest idea of how perfect her body was she wouldn't be so shy about it. He supposed he should be grateful, her self-consciousness contributed to her innocence and he was very aroused by her innocence.

"The water is nice," she smiled. She grabbed the brush that she had been using earlier and began to wash his chest. "You should finish washing up before it goes cold though."

He hummed in response and simply watched her as she washed his chest and arms. He was really restraining himself by not touching her. Her skin was so inviting and her breasts were too beautiful not to be held. "April," he finally whispered. "Will I be the first man to lay hands on you as well?"

She nodded as she bit down on her bottom lip. "Yes."

He smiled. "Well take a deep breath and don't be afraid to tell me what you want."

She furrowed her brow in confusion. She had no idea what she wanted...but then he placed both of his hands on her breasts and she instantly knew that that felt good. He held both of them and brushed his thumbs along her nipples. She inhaled a ragged breath and dug her short fingernails into his shoulders. He smiled smugly but was obviously taken aback when she desperately pressed her mouth against his. She kissed him roughly, and although she had no idea what she was doing, she pushed her tongue into his mouth. He was making her feel good so she hoped she was doing the same for him.

"What do you want?" She asked as she placed a kiss on the corner of his jaw. "I was brought here for you wasn't I? So what do you want?"

He was pleasantly surprised by her boldness but he had known the answer to this question ever since she had stepped foot in his tent. "I want you to want me," he told her candidly. "I want you to be here with me because you want to and not because you were told that you belong to me now. I want you to enjoy pleasing me as much as I enjoy pleasing you, and I really want you to enjoy yourself when I please you," he laughed huskily.

"I like this," she admitted shyly as she looked down at his large hands on her breasts.

"Good," he grinned. He leaned forward and started to place open mouth kisses on her neck. She dropped her hands from his shoulders to his thighs, beneath the water. He gently nipped at her skin with his teeth when she gripped his thighs...her small hands were so agonizingly close to where he wanted them. He tangled both of his hands in her long hair and tugged her head backwards. She released a sound between a gasp and a laugh and he grinned against her throat. "Are you teasing me, love?" He asked playfully.

"I don't think I would know how," she laughed softly.

He growled before he replied. "I think you have a better idea than you think." He placed his mouth against hers again as he stroked her sides with both hands. He kissed her slowly and allowed her to become accustomed to this level of intimacy before he slipped a hand between them and fondled her private flesh.

She whimpered and rested her forehead against his. "What are you doing?" She asked innocently. The feeling of his fingers against her was foreign, but good.

He grinned at her as he ran his free hand over her hair. "You'll see."

She stared at him in confusion and he held her gaze, grinning at her like an eager boy. She started to kiss him again but gasped against his mouth when she felt his fingers inside of her. "What are you doing?" She asked again, this time quite breathless. "I didn't think that men...I...uh..." She grunted and collapsed against his chest. She felt a great pressure building up in the pit of her stomach and she wasn't sure how to get rid of it. "Jackson," she panted. "Stop it. Please."

"Shh, beautiful," he whispered soothingly. He brushed that spot inside of her that drove most women wild and increased the pressure of his thumb on her untouched bundle of nerves. He kissed her neck as she writhed and moaned on top of him. She finished a moment later and captured his mouth in a frantic kiss. He kissed her back hungrily as both of his hands settled on her hips. "Better?" He enquired mischievously.

"What was that?" She asked in disbelief as she grasped his neck.

He smiled triumphantly. "What? You didn't think I was going to do anything for you? Did you think I was going to mount you like a dog and have my way with you?" She blushed and her eyes widened, and he knew that the answer was yes. "Well," he began as he slowly rose to his feet. "I'll have to change your opinion of me."

April gasped as she steadied herself by placing her hands on his shoulders. Her legs were around his waist but he was carrying all of her weight with one arm wrapped around her lower back, his other hand was cradling her face. He was _so _strong. She gulped nervously as he stepped out of the tub and carried her to the bed. He laid her down and covered her body with his own as they kissed.

"I'm nervous," she confessed shyly when he pulled away to kiss her collarbone. "I know I probably shouldn't tell you that, but I am." And she knew that it was going to hurt, her mother had warned her of it...and she had always imagined completing this act with her husband...all of those things made her very uneasy, and yet she was excited as well, for some reason.

"It's okay," he answered soothingly. He kissed her again before he ran his mouth down her neck and shoulders and soaked up the water droplets that remained on her skin. He wanted to spend more time exploring but he felt so bloody impatient. He pressed his mouth against hers again as he tightly gripped her knee and started to push into her. She gasped in pain and he tried his best to comfort her. "Breathe."

She bit down on her bottom lip as tears stung her eyes. She felt like she was being stretched and she wished that he had used his fingers again instead.

He gave her what he thought was enough time to adjust to his size and then he began to rhythmically thrust into her. She couldn't hold back a whimper, and it certainly was not one of pleasure. These were not the sounds that he liked to hear from a woman in his bed. He was hurting her, and unlike so many women of his past, he couldn't just continue and pretend that she would get used to it. He pulled out of her with a groan and flopped onto his back on the other side of the bed.

"I'm so s-sorry," April hiccuped. She was pretty sure that a lady was supposed to have more composure than this during her first time. She angrily squeezed her eyes shut before she chanced a glance at him. His gaze was fixed upwards and he was clenching his teeth together. She knew that all of the power that she had previously held over him had now vanished. She had been unable to please and no doubt he was furious with her.

She started to slide out of bed but he caught her around the waist. "Hey," he whispered, "wait." He rolled onto his side and pulled her into his chest. He wiped away her tears before he planted a soft kiss on her lips and then numerous kisses on her cheeks. "I'm sorry for hurting you. I tried to make it easier by having you sit in the bath with me and by using my fingers on you first, but it still isn't always pleasant for a woman, especially her first time." He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and softly kissed her temple. "You can go to sleep now, lovely."

The red-head smiled to herself as she cuddled into his chest. Maybe she had underestimated how he felt about her yet again.

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**A/N: Do not fret! Things get easier ;)**

**Please leave a review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: The response to this story has been crazy so thanks so much for that! I hope you enjoy this update :)**

**Disclaimer: Same as always!**

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Jackson gazed at the woman in his bed as he waited for her to wake up. She seemed to sleep peacefully, which meant that she was at least a little content with him, despite the events of last night. He hoped that he hadn't hurt her too badly. He wanted her to want him. He wanted her to beg for him. He wanted her to associate pleasure with him for the rest of her life.

And he might end up associating pleasure with her for the rest of his life. She was so strikingly beautiful and she had certainly captured his attention. There was something familiar about those very features that entranced him. He couldn't help but be reminded of words his father had spoken to him a long time ago.

"_You're lucky you've never encountered a Whitley woman, son. They're sirens. They'll pull you in with their red hair, pale skin, and hazel eyes."_

His beauty definitely had such features but surely it was a coincidence. After all, the only Whitley woman still living had married a Kepner...and had given birth to four daughters. And the woman in his bed did share the name of one of those four daughters, and she did have certain mannerisms that made her seem like she had come from high birth. He wasn't completely convinced that she had just been a peasant in a village. But surely those things were coincidences as well.

She couldn't be...

Jackson quickly pushed those thoughts aside because they were ridiculous. If he was sleeping next to the enemy's daughter then he would know. Someone in the camp would have picked up on it. A lady of Kepner castle would not be as soft and sweet as she was.

She started to stir and he gazed at her adoringly. "Good morning."

"Morning," she murmured as she slowly opened her eyes.

"How did you sleep?" He asked as he reached out to stroke her cheek with the back of his fingers.

She stretched her limbs and licked her dry lips before she spoke. "I feel awful that I wasn't able to make you happy."

"Who said that? I never said that," he responded quickly.

"I may not be very good at this," she sighed, "but I know a little about what makes a man happy, and I left you very unhappy last night." She shifted towards him and rested her chin on his chest. "How can I make you happy?" She asked hoarsely. Her hand skipped down his torso and ran over his shaft. "Like this?" She whispered as she placed her mouth against his ear.

He panted as he grinned to himself. It seemed as if she had found some self-confidence overnight. "Yeah, like that."

She started to giggle but it was interrupted by his eager mouth and quick tongue. He tangled a hand in her thick hair as she increased the speed of her hand. He was now as hard as a rock and standing at full attention. "Can we try again?" She asked.

"Try what again?" He questioned stupidly as his mouth sought out hers.

She climbed into his lap and looked down at him expectantly. "We were going to do it like this the other morning, weren't we?" He nodded as he gazed up at her and placed his hands on her thighs. "Well, I want to now."

"Do you?" He asked with narrowed eyes. "Or do you want to because you're afraid?" He sat up straight and delicately placed both of his hands on her neck. "Afraid that I'll hurt you if you don't?"

She smiled at him softly as she caressed his upper arms and shoulders. "I don't think you'll hurt me, not intentionally anyway." She wasn't completely convinced of her own words but she didn't want him to know that she was a tad afraid of him.

He finally allowed himself to smile brightly. "Good, because I don't want to force you into anything. I've learned that it's not as enjoyable that way." He leaned into her and kissed her neck before he spoke again. "But we're not going to try again, not right now."

She frowned. "Why not?" She had talked herself into it and now he was saying no? She figured that it was the best way to get him to trust her.

"Because," he chuckled as he grasped her waist. "You're not ready." He slipped his hands around to her back and slowly lowered them until they cupped her behind. "You need a little time."

April couldn't stop a pout from forming on her face, him rejecting her hadn't been in her plan. She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and grasped his shoulders. "I can't change your mind?" She whispered as she kissed below his ear.

"Temptress," he growled as he rolled her over onto her back.

She giggled as he tickled her waist. "Okay! I'll stop if you will," she squealed as she squirmed beneath him.

He relented and brushed her wavy auburn hair out of her face. "I didn't say anything about stopping," he murmured. He kissed her hungrily as he moved onto his side and manoeuvred his hand in between her legs.

She sighed and tossed her head back. "Oh...this again..."

He laughed as he carefully watched her facial expressions. "You like this?" She nodded as she bit down on her bottom lip. He grinned smugly and dropped his mouth to the swell of her breasts. He wanted to make her come so hard that she screamed his name at the top of her lungs. He wanted every man in camp to hear her.

And he almost achieved just that with just a few movements of his experienced digits. She was a little quieter than he liked but absolutely breathtaking.

Afterwards, she rested her head on his pillow and panted heavily as he gently caressed her inner thigh. "Jackson," she breathed.

"Yes, beautiful?" He asked as he continued to place kisses along her chest.

"Will you let me do that for you?" She began tentatively. "Will you...?" She trailed off as her hand found his manhood again. "Can I?" She asked as she wrapped her hand around him.

He nodded as he leaned in to kiss her heatedly. He tangled a hand in her hair and hungrily moved his mouth over hers. He hadn't been with a woman, and a woman hadn't touched him like this since before the war began...which was quite a stretch of time for him.

He breathed heavily as he placed kisses down her neck while she increased the pace of her hand. She hitched her leg over his hip and he groaned before he took one of her nipples into his mouth.

She gasped and playfully smacked the back of his head. "Stop that. I'm trying to concentrate."

He laughed huskily, "You're doing fine."

In fact, she was doing more than fine. He dug his fingers into the delicate curve of her hip and roughly pressed his mouth against hers as he finished with an erratic thrust of his hips. He continued to kiss her with fervour as her hand continued to stroke him.

He finally pulled away with a growl and rolled over onto his back. He took a moment to regain his breath before he slid out of bed, cleaned himself off, and pulled on a layer of clothes. He knew that he had to meet with Shepherd today to discuss strategy for their attack on the river. As he tied up his pants, he spun around to face the bed again and grinned at April lying on her stomach. He could see her naked back and the gorgeous swell of her ass, and to make things even more difficult for him, she was smiling at him.

"How am I supposed to leave the bed when you look like that?" He asked with a sigh.

She giggled and answered coyly, "Do you have to leave your bed?"

He growled again and stepped towards her. "You could lose this war for me, you know?" He joked.

Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she shifted towards the end of the bed and grasped the waistband of his pants. "You can't stay and do that thing with your fingers again?" She asked before biting down on her bottom lip.

He laughed as he cupped her face with both hands. "You're a greedy one." He leaned down and kissed her softly. "But I do have important things to do."

"Okay," she sighed. "I will see you after?"

He nodded with a smile. "You definitely will."

He didn't even bother to put on his armour before he made his way to Derek Shepherd's tent, he simply hooked a knife onto his belt.

"Lord Shepherd," he spoke with a smile as he entered the tent. "How are you?"

The older man lifted his head and smiled pleasantly. "Good, Lord Avery, yourself?"

"We both know I'm fine," he grinned suggestively.

Derek Shepherd frowned as he processed what the younger man was implying. Before Mark had named the Avery Sword of the King, Derek had cautioned him against giving him such an important position. There was no denying that the boy was an expert swordsman, but he was just that...a _boy_. He was still a little impulsive and had an air of youthful arrogance about him, and he had a weakness for maidens. Derek had advised keeping the boy in the south, allowing him to rule over the lands there and inviting him to court every now and again. There was no doubt that the boy would come with his sword and his men if the King needed him, but Mark had insisted on making him the Sword of the King. He had said that he saw something of himself in the young man and that the women in his bed did not effect how he swung his sword.

Derek disagreed.

"How long until you get bored with this one?" He asked solemnly.

The young Lord Avery never remained content with his virgin girls for very long. They appeared to lose their allure after a while.

Jackson smiled to himself as he walked towards Shepherd's war board and pulled his small knife out of his belt. He ran his fingers over the jewel encrusted dagger as he played with the blade in his hand. "There's something different about this one," he grinned.

Derek raised an eyebrow in disbelief. He said that quite frequently. "Are you sure?"

Jackson nodded as he stuck his knife into the war board, where the map marked Kepner's men at the river. "I haven't even taken her yet. Now," he began in slight annoyance, "let's talk war."

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Over the next two days, April grew quite restless around camp. She had often questioned if she truly belonged in the life that she had been born into it, but it was abundantly clear that this life did not suit her either. She didn't particularly enjoy doing chores or being someone's servant, and being someone's property did not sit well with her either...but she couldn't deny that she was genuinely beginning to enjoy spending time with Lord Avery.

_Jackson_.

No matter how hard she tried not to.

He still hadn't tried to bed her, but he did a lot of other things...with his fingers and his mouth. He said that he wanted to _explore _her and study her like a map.

It was hard to think about how much she was supposed to detest him when he said things like that.

But they also did a lot of other things that she was sure the girls that were given to other lords didn't get to do. They curled up in his bed and ate. She was eating as well as she would if she were home. They read the books that he had in his tent (actually she let him read the words to her because she didn't think that it was very wise to reveal that she could read), and he told her things about the war. He explained strategy and soldier movements, and he told her about why the war was so important to the crown. It was eye opening to hear how the enemy viewed the war.

They were curled up in his bed once more, with his lips on her neck, when an amusing thought occurred to her.

"Can you teach me how to hold a sword?"

He laughed against her neck as his hand slid across her stomach. "Why would you want to know something like that?"

"I've always been curious," she answered as she turned her head to look at him.

Her eyes were so bright and excited that he had to say yes. "Okay," he chuckled as he pinched her waist.

She squealed with delight as they both got out of the bed. He walked towards the chair where his sword hung in it's sheath and slowly pulled it free. He turned towards her with a playful grin. "You're not an assassin are you?" He looked over his naked body and his grin widened. "I'm not wearing much armour," he joked.

"What do you think?" She retorted with a grin.

He laughed as he walked up behind her and carefully placed the sword in her hand. "Grasp it with both hands," he whispered.

"It's heavier than I expected," she responded in awe.

"It was made by the finest smith in the south," he told her. "See the way it tapers at the end?" She nodded after a moment. "There's no other sword like her. She's entirely unique."

April readjusted her grip on the sword as she held it out in front of her...with his help, both of his hands were supporting hers just in case her hold weakened. She had never held a sword before but there was definitely something about it that was very powerful. She felt as if she understood something very important about men now.

"This is natural for you, isn't it?" She finally asked. She felt him nod as his hands fell from hers and gripped her waist. "Does it feel like an extension of your arm?"

"That's exactly what it feels like," he answered. He brushed his nose along her neck, inhaling the sweet natural scent of her skin, as his fingers played with the material of her nightgown. "It feels like it's supposed to be there. It's a part of me."

The only mutually enjoyable relationship he had sustained in his life was with his sword.

"Wow," she breathed. She continued to stare at the sword in amazement until she felt his manhood press into her backside. She giggled softly, "Does this make you want me?"

"Everything makes me want you," he responded honestly.

He swiftly lifted her into his arms and his beloved sword clattered to the ground.

And he didn't even give it a second look.

He carried her to his bed and quickly rid her of her nightgown. He kissed her hungrily and she ran her hands over his back and up to the back of his head. She gently ran her fingers over his ears and along his jaw before she pulled away from him to ask a question.

"Jackson," she breathed heavily. "Are we...?"

He couldn't stop himself from grinning. She was so innocent that she couldn't even say the word. "Are we what?" He teased.

She blushed. "You know," she replied timidly.

He chuckled as he dropped his mouth to her neck. "Well that depends, love."

"On what?" She asked curiously.

His tongue peeked out to run along her pulse point and he felt her fingers dig into the back of his neck. "Are you wet?" He asked as he pushed himself up onto his hands so that he could look down at her.

She blushed an even darker shade of red. "What?"

"Between your legs, love," he explained with a mischievous smirk. "Are you wet?" She opened her mouth to stutter a response but he kissed her to put her out of her misery. "You're not afraid to talk when you want something though, are you?" He muttered wickedly.

She couldn't stop herself from giggling against his mouth. He didn't make her feel like his property when he said things like that. She curled her legs around his calves and used the leverage to roll him onto his back. He was clearly surprised by the move but the smile on his face was unmistakable. She pulled him up into a sitting position so that she could kiss him, and while her tongue was still in his mouth, she lifted her hips and slowly lowered herself down onto him.

This way things were on her terms.

And this time was much different than their failed attempt for her, and for him. She could tell that it was different for him by the look on his face, his hard jaw and dark eyes, and by the way he gripped her waist and thighs so tightly. She wasn't sure if it was the position or the fact that she definitely wasn't a virgin anymore, but she was slowly beginning to understand why people enjoyed this. It was different than what she had imagined, and different from what she had experienced from him so far. There was a lot more kissing than she thought there would be, and it wasn't as rough as she had been told it would be. Lastly, she wasn't sure where he ended and she began, and she liked that.

She moaned as he thrust up into her while she pushed down against him. He did the same little trick with his fingers that she had grown incredibly fond of and she felt the same coil of pressure in the pit of her stomach.

She cried out his name and draped her arms over his shoulders. She panted loudly as she felt him spill inside of her and bite her neck, as if he was marking her, and maybe he was.

He rolled her onto her side while he was still buried inside of her and kissed her hard on the mouth. "Did you like that?" He asked curiously.

She nodded as she caressed his arms and chest. "I have no idea what I'm feeling when you do that thing with your fingers but I like it a lot," she laughed softly.

He grinned smugly and leaned in to kiss her again. "I want to make you feel like that with just my cock."

She giggled at his choice of language and pressed her face against his neck. "Men don't talk like that where I'm from."

He laughed huskily as he fondled the flesh of her backside. "They do, love, you just haven't heard them yet." He paused before he added, "Which I am thankful for."

She snaked her arms around his neck and they started to kiss with purpose once again. Surprisingly, she kind of wanted to do that again.

They joined together twice more before dawn and Jackson wasted no time after they had awoken either.

He was inside of her when he heard his squire's voice from outside his tent.

"We must make battle preparations for tomorrow, my lord."

"I'll be there in a moment," he called back. "I just need to eat my breakfast!"

April looked up at him curiously. "Battle preparations?"

"We're going to take the river tomorrow," he murmured through kisses. He couldn't leave her like this. She looked so beautiful with her red hair spread out on his pillow and she felt too good wrapped around him. He needed to get a new squire. This one was a nuisance. "It shouldn't take long," he continued. "I should be back by nightfall."

"Were you going to tell me?" She asked quietly as her hands, which had been gripping his lower back, dropped to her sides.

He couldn't help but smile as he realized what was really bothering her. "You're going to worry about me? Well you don't have to," he assured her. "I'm the best sword this side of the sea, remember?" He said cheekily. "And I've never lost a battle in my life."

"Do you have to go?" She asked in whisper. She answered her own question before he had a chance to. "Of course you do, you're a solider. You take your orders and you carry on. Would you ever surrender?"

He shook his head. "I can't, not unless the King surrenders, and even if he did," he paused thoughtfully, "I wouldn't unless I knew that a much better life was waiting for me, which will never be the case."

He kissed her again and they finished hurriedly. He disentangled himself from her and got out of the bed slowly. April nervously chewed on her bottom lip as she wrapped herself in his sheets and rested her head on the pillow. She wasn't sure if she was going to worry about him, but she was definitely going to worry about her father's men. Jackson was a natural killer. Would he kill her father? Owen? The boys that had been training in the yard? People were going to die tomorrow and the thought made her sick to her stomach.

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**A/N: Please leave a review! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad that people are enjoying this fic! It is quite different from what I usually write so I'm glad people are sticking with this! Enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: Same as always!**

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Jackson gently stroked the mane of his horse as he watched the men in front of him ready themselves. The sun hadn't fully peeked over the horizon yet and it was the perfect time to ride into battle. He couldn't lie and say that he wasn't excited for this. He felt as if he had gone without fighting for far too long.

But leaving April in his tent had been very difficult for him. He had watched her sleep for a few minutes, naked and gorgeous, before he had placed a kiss on her temple and dressed for battle. He had never felt this way about a woman before. Not the girls that he had grown up with or the maidens before her or the ladies that came on to him at court. There was something very different about her, and he knew that Derek Shepherd was right, he did say that a lot, but this time _was _different. He could feel it in his gut. She wasn't someone he was about to get bored with any time soon.

Jackson turned his head as he heard footsteps behind him. Prince Edward was walking towards him with his usual swagger. Jackson loved Mark but his kid was not very likeable. It was as if Edward had inherited the worst parts of both him and Addison. He could fully understand why the Kepners had emphatically said no to an arrangement. No man would want to marry his daughter to _that._

"Lord Avery," the Prince greeted him with the upward tilt of his chin.

"My Prince," Jackson responded obediently. "What are you doing up at this hour?" Not only was he up, he was fully dressed in his lavish battle armour.

"I was hoping that I could convince you to let me come with you."

"Not a chance," Jackson laughed. His last talk with Mark about this battle had included explicit instructions about Edward not riding into battle with them, no matter how much he wanted to. "I have my orders."

The boy scowled but then shrugged. "And I knew you'd follow them."

"Then why did you bother asking?" Jackson questioned in confusion.

"Because you're the only man I know that loves killing more than I do," he answered quietly.

Jackson pursed his lips. That seemed like a harsh way to describe him but he supposed that it was true. There was a reason why he had the reputation that he did.

"You're also the only man I know that loves women more than I do," Edward continued with a chuckle.

Jackson grinned in response, he certainly couldn't deny that. "And you still have a lot to learn about women." The boy was only sixteen and had no marital prospects.

"Father won't let me keep one at camp," he complained. "But you have one...the red-head...I've seen her."

Jackson's shoulders tensed and he returned to petting his horse to calm himself down. He didn't like to hear other men talking about April. "What are you getting at?" He asked in annoyance.

"Maybe I'll give her a go while you're gone," he stated with a smug grin. "She's just a whore after all."

Without thinking, Jackson drew his hand back and slapped the arrogant Prince across the face. He stumbled backwards, but when he regained his footing he reached for the hilt of his sword. Jackson, however, reacted quicker and held a dagger to the boy's throat before he could fully draw his sword. "You pull your sword on me and it will be the last thing you do."

"I'm the heir to the throne!" Edward spat in disbelief. "You can't touch me!"

"And I'm the Sword of the King," Jackson answered in a low, dangerous voice. "My job is to keep the peace and right now you're disturbing _my _peace."

Edward pulled away from him and huffed indignantly. "I'll be telling my father about this," he threatened.

"Go ahead," Jackson challenged. He knew that Mark wouldn't say a word to him about it. There were times when the King wasn't very proud of his heir. He jumped onto his horse and looked down at the Prince with narrowed eyes. "Go back to your tent and stay there. Leave the war to the men."

* * *

Jackson galloped back into camp as fast as his horse could carry him. He dismounted and strode towards the King's tent angrily.

Taking the river had not been as easy as they had hoped. It had been an ambush. There had been two thousand Kepner men at the river, like Mark had said, but another two thousand men had set up camp very close by. They had been vastly outnumbered and the amount of their men that lay slain near the river showed just that.

Jackson had never felt scared in battle before in his life...until today. He had lost a lot of good men, a lot of friends. Shepherd was surveying just how bad their remaining men's injuries were while he spoke to Mark.

He stepped into the King's tent and his flaring temper was readily apparent. He didn't bow or kneel, or announce himself, or apologize for interrupting an intimate moment between the King and Queen. "Was it your intention to send us to our deaths?" He yelled hotly.

Mark slowly got up out of the bed that he shared with his wife and pulled on a robe. "What are you talking about Avery?" He asked in confusion.

"We had fifteen hundred men. They had four thousand," he stated flatly.

"Four," the King repeated. "Our scout said two."

"Our scout," Jackson fumed, "was mistaken. Or they found out we were coming and sent for more."

Mark quickly dismissed that suggestion. "That's impossible. How many men did we lose?"

"Too many," Jackson replied sadly. "Over half of Shepherd's men. Almost a hundred of mine."

"Injuries?"

Jackson nodded. "Yes, Shepherd is checking on the men now. We'll know the full extent in the morning."

Mark slowly sat down on the edge of the bed and Addison reached out a hand to touch his back comfortingly. "We're going to need more men," he stated glumly.

"From the south," the Queen chimed in. "Lord Avery's men?"

Jackson bristled at the mention of his father but he knew that he had no other choice. They needed his father's resources. "I'll send word to him in the morning."

"Were the Greys there?" Addison asked suspiciously.

Jackson shook his head. "No, they weren't. Kepner's men are being led by someone I've never seen before. But he's good." He was a tall, strong, red-haired man around his age and they had battled for a very long time, until they had gotten distracted by the killing happening around them. "They're better than we thought," Jackson admitted reluctantly.

"I guess we'll have to look at things differently from here on out," the King spoke quietly. "Enjoy your night, Avery."

"Sorry for barging in," Jackson muttered sheepishly. He quickly lowered himself down onto a knee. "My King. My Queen," he spoke courteously before he left the tent.

* * *

Jackson did not return until long after nightfall and April had been so worried that she had been unable to sleep. She had surprised herself all day by how much she had thought about him. She had prayed for him and his safety. She didn't care about any of the King's other men, but she wanted to see him one more time.

She jumped out of his bed when he stepped into the tent tired and covered in blood and dirt. "You're okay?" She asked frantically.

He nodded as he began to take off his armour. "Yeah, I'm fine." His temper had cooled and now he just wanted to be with her. It was as if a large weight had been lifted off of his shoulders upon seeing her. He felt relieved. "It just took longer than expected. There were...complications."

She stepped up to him and helped him remove the heavy belt around his waist. "Are you sure you're okay?" She persisted.

He smiled at her concern. "Yes, love. A little bruised but fine." She helped him strip down to just his pants and then he wrapped his arms around her waist. His body always coursed with so much adrenaline after a fight and this time was no different. He was incredibly aroused and he had the most beautiful woman in his arms. "I'm fine, and I want you."

She gently placed her hands on his shoulders. "Shouldn't you rest?" She asked quietly.

"I'll rest after," he answered as he lifted her off of her feet. He carried her to the bed and set her down on the edge. He leaned down and hungrily claimed her mouth while she placed her hands flat against his abdomen. "What do you want?" He asked her gruffly.

She looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes. "You," she smiled.

He grinned as he stroked her chin with his thumb. "What do you want me to do to you?" He rephrased.

She blushed and shrugged. "Shouldn't I be asking you that question?"

"I'm changing the rules," he replied cheekily. He ran his hands through her hair as he waited for her response. "Well?"

She swallowed before answering timidly, "I want you to treat me like you're mine." Realizing how worried she had been about him today had forced her to face the fact that she wasn't as scared as she had been several days ago, and she wasn't as upset about being held prisoner as she should be. She didn't feel like a prisoner anymore and he didn't feel like the enemy. Her desire to escape and to flee, and all of her thoughts of sabotage, had vanished. She wanted to be his.

And would it really be so bad if she was? She was relieved that he was alive not only because it ensured her safety but because she was beginning to genuinely care for him. He was a kind man who was simply doing his duty, fulfilling the oath that he had pledged to the King. He did seem to have a penchant for violence but most men in their world did, and it was all that he had ever known. Mostly, he treated her with far more care and respect than she had expected and she appreciated that a great deal.

He was very interested in her body but what was so wrong with him wanting her? She knew that he wasn't bedding anyone else.

He furrowed his brow as he lowered himself down onto his knees and knelt in between her legs. "I am yours. I am as much yours as you are mine," he told her sincerely. He kissed her softly before he pulled away with a smile. "There is no one else, you understand?"

She nodded slowly as she stroked his bruised chest. "I understand," she whispered. "And I'm really glad you're okay."

He smiled brightly and joked, "If I wasn't okay then who would pleasure you with their fingers?" She giggled softly and a fierce blush spread across her cheeks. He laughed along with her as he leaned back on his heels and spread her legs wide. He pushed her nightgown up over her hips before he leaned in and blew against her bare, sensitive flesh.

She squealed and scooted back on the bed and away from him. He looked up at her with a grin and she giggled, "You can't do that!"

He grinned smugly as he joined her on the bed. "I believe that I'm the Sword of the King and that I can do whatever I want. If I want to kiss you there then I'm going to kiss you there."

She blushed a shade darker as she pulled at the drawstrings of his pants. It was no trouble to make out the outline of his manhood and she was slightly mesmerized by it. "Are all you southern lords this arrogant?" She asked teasingly.

"No," he chuckled, "just me." He grasped her waist and tugged her on top of him. "I'm very good at what I do."

He thought back to the battle at the river for a moment. If he wasn't good at what he did then he wouldn't have made it out of that battle alive. It was a terrifying thought.

She kissed him softly as he ran a hand through her hair while his other hand cupped her behind beneath her nightgown. She moaned and held his face between her hands. She increased the pressure of her lips on his and he responded to her hungrily. He tugged her nightgown over her head before ridding himself of his pants.

She allowed him to move her onto her back and she wrapped both of her legs around the back of his thighs. He kissed her softly before he pushed into her and started to move his hips in a steady rhythm that had her clutching at his back and ass.

"Does that feel good?" He muttered against her neck.

She answered him with a gasp and he took that to mean yes. He had done this many times with many different women, but not one of them had been like her. There was something very special about her and it brought out the best in him. She made him want to be known as more than just the Sword of the King, the womanizing, pretty lord from the south.

He dropped his mouth to the swell of her breast and she cried out when he brushed his tongue along her nipple. She squirmed beneath him and he almost couldn't contain himself. She was very responsive, she moaned and her back arched and her heels dug into his thighs. Everything that she was doing pushed him closer to the edge.

She was getting really good at this.

He raised his head to kiss her again and her hands wrapped around his neck. She smiled at him as he brushed his nose along hers. "Can you push harder?" She asked him quietly.

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Yeah, I can. If that's what you want."

She nodded with a whimper. "Uh huh." That's what her body told her she wanted anyway.

"Okay," he muttered. He placed both of his hands firmly on the bed on either side of her and angled his hips so that he could give her what she wanted.

She cried out beneath him, in a way that she never had before, and he smiled proudly to himself before he collapsed on top of her. They remained tangled together in a mass of sweaty, shaking limbs for several minutes, not uttering a word.

He regained his breath and rolled onto the other side of the bed with a satisfied smile on his face. He stretched his arms above his head and chuckled huskily. "Good God that was incredible."

She giggled as she rolled into his side and rested her head on his chest. "Yeah, it was," she agreed. "I think my toes are tingling."

"And I didn't even need to use my fingers," he whispered teasingly.

She giggled again as she entwined her feet with his. "Stop bragging."

"I can't, love," he grinned. "You look so gorgeous in ecstasy that someone has to take credit for it."

She blushed and made herself comfortable on top of him. She closed her eyes but sleep continued to evade her. She could hear the steady beat of his heart beneath her ear and she could feel the rise and fall of his peaceful breathing, but she knew that he wasn't asleep either. His fingers were still tracing mindless patterns on her back. After a moment, she propped her chin up on his pectoral muscle and smiled up at him.

As she had suspected, he was still awake and his blue-green eyes were peering down at her. "Something you want to ask me, love?" He asked curiously.

"Tell me about where you're from," she began.

"As far south as you can go," he answered with a smile. "Near the sea. There's sun and sand, and the water is beautifully clear. It's a lot warmer than it is here. It's paradise. I miss it," he confessed in a whisper.

"Would I like it there?" She pondered. She had never been south of the river and she had always wondered what it would be like. She would like to experience very warm weather.

"Yes, I think so, but you'd have to start wearing less clothes. It's far too warm for that dress you have," he told her as he playfully nipped at her neck. She giggled and started to roll away from him. "In fact, you may have to walk around my chambers completely naked. You'd be quite the distraction. I'd never get any work done."

He slipped his hand between her legs but she stopped him by placing a firm hand on his chest. "I'm not done talking yet, Jackson," she purred.

He licked his lips and felt himself become even more turned on by the timbre of her voice. "What else would you like to know?"

"Are you as good with a bow as you are with a sword?"

"Not as good," he answered honestly. "But I wouldn't count me out."

"Have you ever done anything other than fight?"

"I've spent some time at court on various councils, but I hate it. I'd rather be on the battlefield or in the training yard." He tilted her head upwards and pressed a kiss to her mouth. "Can I make love to you again now?" He asked impatiently.

She laughed as she moved to straddle his lap. "Have you always been this...eager?" She asked with a playful smile. She decided to point out the obvious, "We just finished."

He grinned as he sat up and started to kiss her shoulder. "I know, and I'm usually eager after a fight, but not like this. When I rode into that battle the only thing that I could think about was I wished I could have had you one more time."

"You thought about me?" She whispered in disbelief.

He nodded as he stared at her with the most sincere look in his eyes. "Of course." He brought both of his hands up to cup her shoulders and his fingers stroked her bare skin. "Of course I did," he repeated. "I have a lot of feelings for you, April," he told her rather shyly. "Feelings that I probably shouldn't have."

April smiled softly as she ran her fingers over his scalp. "Maybe that's not a bad thing. I have feelings for you too."

"Show me," he whispered in a plea.

"Alright," she grinned, "I will."

* * *

**A/N: Guess who makes an appearance next chapter? The elder Lord Avery! ;)**

**Please leave a review! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I really apologize for the long wait! I wasn't feeling very inspired and then I got super busy with school but finally, here is the new chapter! Perhaps the one that many of you have been waiting for. Not sure how I feel about it but I hope that you enjoy it! :)**

**Disclaimer: Same as always!**

* * *

April snuggled closer to Jackson and ran her fingers along his stomach. She started to pepper kisses along his collarbone and neck and grinned when he stirred with a grunt. "Go back to sleep," he mumbled as he threaded a hand through her hair. She giggled softly as her fingers skipped over his abdomen and smoothed over the sparse hair on his chest.

"Good morning." She smiled up at him and saw that he still had his eyes closed. "The sun is up," she murmured as she kissed his neck again.

"That doesn't mean I have to leave this bed," he grumbled. "I just fought a battle yesterday, I deserve extra time in bed." He grumbled again unpleasantly before he swiftly rolled her over onto her back and pinned her beneath him. "Extra time in bed with you," he rumbled huskily.

She laughed before she shyly bit down on her bottom lip. "I have something in mind for what I want to do today."

"Me too," he smirked. He dipped his head and lightly kissed her neck before nibbling her earlobe. "Lots of things in mind. Some similar to things we did last night."

She laughed before she placed her hands on his chest. "Your bruising has gotten worse."

"It's nothing," he responded dismissively. "I'm used to it."

She had thought only of him for most of the night. His passion and his intensity...and his feelings for her, and then she had thought of his injuries. She was so grateful that his injuries weren't any worse, and she wondered just how bad everyone else had been hurt. She wanted to help; she couldn't stop herself from thinking that perhaps she could do something for the men that desperately needed medical attention. That's what she wanted to do today.

"How bad are the injuries of your men?"

He raised his head and looked down at her curiously. "We'll know more today. Why?"

"Well," she began nervously, "I could help."

He furrowed his brow in confusion, but he was definitely curious. "How?"

"I treated men before..." She trailed off awkwardly but they both knew what she was referring to. She had treated men before she had been brought to him. "I can help. If you'll let me."

"You would do that?" He asked softly.

"Why wouldn't I?" She responded.

He smiled brightly before he tucked her hair behind her ear and kissed her hungrily on the mouth. "You're wonderful," he murmured through long, breathless, sloppy kisses. He grasped her right thigh and slowly started to slide his hand up her leg. "But after...you can be wonderful after..."

"But time is important in these matters," she protested.

He groaned loudly as he flopped onto his back. "You're cruel for someone so wonderful."

She giggled softly before she placed a soft kiss on the corner of his jaw. "Let me do this, Jackson. It will help, I promise."

He nodded slowly and watched her get out of bed. "Find Lord Webber," he instructed. "He will get you anything you need."

* * *

April sat on the ground in front of a young man not much older than Libby and poured a purifying liquid down the front of his shin. When she had first ventured towards the wounded and offered to help, she had received some very strange looks. Men, especially soldiers of the south, were not used to women doing something so important, but Jackson's word was practically law. It was easy to see that he was the most feared and respected man after the King. He had announced that she would help with the injured and no one had asked any questions after that. He left her with Lord Webber, a much older man, and together they looked after the men that had been hurt in yesterday's battle.

"You won't have to take my leg or anything, will you?" The young solider asked anxiously.

April couldn't help but chuckle as she cleaned his wound. "No, you're going to be just fine."

"Okay, good," he sighed in relief. He rested his head on the ground and started to breath heavily. "How do you know how to do this?" He asked curiously.

April frowned to herself. "My mother showed me." She hadn't thought about her mother in far too long and the woman probably thought that her daughter was dead. "And I've learned a few things on my own."

"Which is good for us," the boy chuckled.

She looked up at him with a smile. "Yes, I suppose it is." She heard heavy footsteps behind her and, thinking that it was Jackson, she grinned to herself and remarked, "I'm almost done here."

"Is there anything I can help you with?" A familiar voice that was not her lover's asked.

She turned her neck and looked up at the handsome man with a nervous smile. "Lord Shepherd, I'm sorry. I didn't see you there."

"You have nothing to apologize for," he assured her. "Is there anything else you need?"

She shook her head as she applied a fresh bandage to the young man's leg. "No, but you're going to need more medical supplies."

Derek nodded slowly. "Yes, we will, especially if we plan on returning to the river."

He helped the young woman to her feet after she finished tending to young Steven. "Let me escort you back to Lord Avery's tent."

"Thank you," she murmured shyly.

He walked alongside of her slowly as they moved across the camp. "Did you do that north of the river? Tend to the causalities?"

She replied quietly, "Yes, I did what I could and I did the same thing with your men."

"I'm not accusing you of anything, my lady. I was just curious about your talent," he answered carefully. "I know that it is common for women north of the river to be interested in healing."

April swallowed nervously, she had momentarily forgotten that he had married a woman who had grown up north of the river. Lord Shepherd had visited her home many times as a guest of her father's. He had never met her, yet she could see a hint of familiarity in his eyes. Perhaps he saw the resemblance between her and her mother. He knew that she was not who she claimed to be, but she wasn't sure if he knew who she really was.

"Do you miss your home?" He spoke again quietly.

"Yes," she admitted in a whisper. "This is...different."

Derek stopped walking and turned to her knowingly. "Yes, I can imagine that this is a lot different for you."

April's eyes widened but she refused to break his gaze. If she turned away from him now then he would know for sure that she had something to hide. She felt her heart pound against her chest and her blood race through her veins and yet she did not have the feeling that Lord Shepherd was about to run to the King and tattle on her.

She had never heard her father say a bad thing about Derek Shepherd. He was a noble, civilized lord, and there was just something about him that made her feel like she could trust him.

Their odd moment of silent understanding was interrupted by Jackson's voice. "Lord Shepherd?"

Derek turned towards the younger man with a polite smile and a small tilt of his head. "Lord Avery."

Jackson strode towards April and wrapped an arm around her elbow. "Are you okay?" He asked in concern.

"I'm fine," she told him softly.

"She did an excellent job with our injured," Derek spoke up. "It was greatly needed."

"That's great," Jackson murmured. He couldn't stop himself from leaning down and pressing a kiss into her hair. He was possessive and selfish and wanted her all to himself now.

Derek spoke again to break up their intimacy. "Has your father arrived yet?"

Jackson gritted his teeth. "No, we'll know exactly when he does." He was confident that his father would announce his presence in the most obnoxious way possible.

Derek laughed at that statement. "Yes," he agreed, "yes, we will."

Jackson started to back away and he pulled April with him. "I will talk to you later, Lord Shepherd."

"Until then, Lord Avery," he nodded respectfully.

Jackson led April away with a grin on his face. "You were gone for far too long, love."

She smiled back at him and wasn't sure exactly what to say. Yes, he was selfish and impatient but he was also very charming and very beautiful. "It was nice to be outside," she finally responded.

He opened his mouth to say something inappropriate, but he held himself back when one of his soldiers approached them. "Percy, what can I do for you?" He questioned.

"I was wondering if you'd like me to ride out and meet your father, sir."

Jackson looked away in thought for a moment. That wasn't a bad idea actually. He was surprised that Charles Percy, of all people, had suggested such a thing. The big man was a good soldier but he was a little dense. He turned towards his solider with a response and his eyes narrowed in anger. Charles was not hiding the fact that his eyes were hungrily roving over the red-head standing next to him.

"Yes, you should do that. Right now," he snapped angrily.

April looked up at him with worry as Charles Percy practically sprinted away. "What was that about?"

"You," he replied honestly as he placed his hand on the back of her neck.

He led her into his tent and immediately pulled her into his arms for a passionate kiss. "I don't like other men looking at what's mine," he breathed before he placed his lips against her neck. "It makes me furious."

She couldn't say that she was surprised. She had heard one of his men say that he had almost killed a man that accidentally touched his sword.

Jackson carried her towards his bed and quickly rid her of the modest, dirty dress she was wearing so that she was in only her thin, silk gown. He peppered kisses down her neck and across her chest. "Say it," he whispered huskily.

"Say what?" She asked in a moan as she tossed her head back.

"That you're mine." He slid back up her body so that they were eye to eye. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face before he spoke again. "I want to here you say it." He kissed her again, his tongue slipping into her mouth hungrily, and pulled away to brush his nose against hers. "Please."

"I'm yours," she conceded. "I want to be yours."

And she realized that she was being completely honest with him. She did want to be his.

"Good," he groaned. He threaded both of his hands through her hair and pressed the entire length of his body against hers. "I wanna put my mouth on you."

She furrowed her brows in confusion as she looked up at him. "Um...okay..."

He laughed and grinned impishly at her. God love her innocence. "You have no idea what I mean, do you?"

"I guess not," she giggled as blush filled her cheeks.

"Well," he whispered in a very aroused voice. "It's like what I do to you with my fingers—"

She interrupted him with a gasp of disbelief. "Except with your mouth?"

"Yes," he laughed.

"Oh," she whispered. "What you wanted to do last night." She paused before she repeated again. "Oh."

Jackson laughed boyishly as he slipped an arm under her lower back and lifted her underneath the sheets of his bed. "It'll be good, I promise."

She shyly grasped his biceps and bit down on her lower lip. "I dunno..."

He dipped his head to nuzzle her neck and was about to become very persuasive when he heard the one voice that made every muscle in his body tense in the worst way possible.

"It's nice to see that some things never change, son."

Jackson had known that his father was arriving, and soon, but he had thought that his squire would give him a bit of notice. He had been mistaken and instead his father was now in his tent while he was fully intent on pleasing his beauty with his mouth. He flopped over onto his back and looked at his father with utter disdain.

"Father, good to see you," he lied.

The elder Lord Avery stood at the mouth of his tent and narrowed his eyes as he focused on the girl in his son's bed. "And who is this?"

Jackson cleared his throat before he responded, "This is April."

"And where is _April_ from?"

"The men found her when we sacked Arrington, where the Robbins are lords."

Lord Thomas Avery cackled, "You really are a stupid, _stupid _boy. You've been letting your cock think for you and you haven't even realized that you have a _Kepner_ in your possession."

Jackson felt his heart jump up into his throat as his worst fear was confirmed. He had pushed it to the back of his mind and he had talked himself out of seeing the truth.

April was surprised when Jackson promptly responded to his father instead of turning on her.

"It doesn't matter anyway," he shot back. "The fact that she's here doesn't change the course of this war!"

"Stupid, _stupid _boy!" He repeated. "This changes everything! The Kepners will do whatever it takes to get their daughter back, including a surrender." He took several quick steps forward and roughly grabbed April by the arm. "Come on, girl. We're going to the King."

Jackson quickly jumped to his feet and barked, "Get your hands off of her!"

"You're right," Thomas sneered. "She's your whore. You should bring her to the King." He roughly shoved her towards his son and Jackson caught her around the waist. He screwed up his face in disgust as he looked at her. "God, she looks so much like her mother that it makes me sick."

Jackson watched his father storm out of his tent before he spun April around in his arms and gently touched her face. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

She shook her head as her hands began to shake. She had always known that something like this was a possibility but it didn't seem real that it was actually happening. "Jackson, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you...I-I c-couldn't...I didn't...I...I had no idea what they'd do to me if they knew. I'm sorry," she repeated.

He tried to smile but it was clear that he wasn't entirely understanding. "We'll talk about it after."

He wrapped her in one of his cloaks before he escorted her to the King's tent. The King was sitting behind a large table and several men surrounded him. One of those men was Thomas Avery and it was obvious that he had already briefed the King on their situation.

"Did you know who she was?" Sloan asked as he looked at Jackson.

"No, my King," he answered obediently.

"Have you been telling her war council matters?" Jackson looked away like an embarrassed boy and he sighed in frustration. "Avery, you had nothing better to talk about while you were inside of her?" He rubbed his temples as he thought of where to go from here.

Derek Shepherd, who was standing in the far corner of the tent, sensed his friend's distress and spoke up. "Well, she's more valuable alive than dead, we know that much."

"It might send a message to Kepner if we don't send her back completely unharmed," Thomas purposed slowly.

"Father!" Jackson cried indignantly. "She's not a prisoner of war! She helped our men today!"

"She could have been sent here to seduce you for all we know," he fired back.

"I wasn't!" April argued quickly. "I just—"

"Quiet, girl," one of Sloan's guard growled before he slapped her.

"Enough!" Sloan commanded as he got to his feet. He turned to the man at his right and began to give him orders. "Tie her up and put two of Shepherd's men on watch. Tell them they're not allowed to touch her." He then turned to the man at his left. "Send a bird to Kepner castle. Say that we have his daughter and want to negotiate his surrender. We've been trying to force him into ending this war, this should be the final straw."

* * *

Jackson paced in his tent until he finally gave into his urges and strode towards the area where he knew they kept prisoners. He came face to face with two of Shepherd's men, two of the boys that he had trained. "Step aside," he ordered.

"We were given our orders, my lord," one of them responded.

Jackson instinctively placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Step aside," he repeated through gritted teeth.

This time, both men did as they were told and got out of his way. He stormed into the tent but stopped short at the sight of April tied to a large wooden pole. "Are you okay?" He asked with a pained facial expression.

She nodded and mustered a small smile. "I'm fine. They haven't laid a hand on me."

Jackson slowly removed his sword and armour and sat down in front of her. He stroked her cheek and his thumb moved over her swollen lip. "I think I knew who you were," he confessed. "I just didn't want to know."

"Jackson, I wasn't trying to seduce you to get information out of you about the war," she tried to explain. "When the Queen took me in, I thought it was best to lie and say nothing; I had no idea what they'd do to me and it was just a coincidence that I ended up in your tent."

"I know that," he replied understandingly. He knew that if old man Kepner were going to throw a woman at him to break him, she would be a tad more experienced and she certainly wouldn't be his daughter. She was right, it was all just a terrible coincidence.

"What's going to happen to me?" She asked fearfully.

He leaned forward and kissed her softly. "You're going to be just fine. You're going to go home."

"What's going to happen to you?"

"I'm going to be just fine too," he smiled. "I'm too valuable to the King...I hope," he added with a chuckle.

"But your father seemed so angry," she argued.

Jackson frowned in confusion. "You have no idea why my father hates your family so much, do you?" She shook her head as he stroked her hair. "My father, when he was young," he began to explain, "was in love with your mother. They were betrothed."

April's eyes widened in shock. Her mother had always told her that she had married for love, but she had never revealed that she had broken her engagement to another man to do so. "They were?"

He nodded solemnly. "They were. But she loved your father and so they got married. The Kepners, although not as wealthy as the Averys, were much more powerful. They had sole control of the river after all, and access to the sea, so there was nothing my father or grandfather could do. My father married my mother but he never loved her. In fact, they grew to hate each other, and my father always told me I was lucky to have never met a Whitley woman," he finished with a sad smile.

"Wow," she whispered. "I never knew."

"And I think," he continued, "that your father refusing the match between your older sister and the King's eldest son reminded him of that time. War was easy for him after that and he was the one that convinced the King that your father has always held too much power."

She processed all of this new information before she spoke. "So...we're at war because of your father's grudge?"

Jackson couldn't stop himself from laughing. "Yeah, I guess so."

"It's really not funny," she scolded him.

"No, it's not," he admitted. "But it is ridiculous." He kissed her again before he stood up. "I should go now but I'll make sure that they give you water and something to eat. I wish that I could stay but I can't."

"I understand." And she did understand, but that still didn't stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks. She only felt safe when he was around.

"I'll be back at first light," he promised her.

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**A/N: Please leave a review! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Enjoy the update!**

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

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April awoke before dawn to the sounds of screaming. Screaming, and the clanging of swords, and the stampede of horses. She had no idea what was going on but she knew that it couldn't be good. She struggled against the rope wrapped around her hands, but it was no use. The rope was tied too tightly and she didn't have anything to try to cut it with. She was no escape artist.

The front of the tent began to rustle and she prayed that it was Jackson.

A man began to step into the tent and she knew right away, based on the colour and pattern of his armour, that it wasn't Jackson. It was one of her father's men.

"Owen!" She exclaimed in a mixture of shock and happiness.

The broad-shouldered, red-headed young man smiled brightly at her as he rushed to her side. "Hey! Are you okay, my lady?" He asked as he worked on untying the knots that secured her to the wooden pole.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she assured him. "What is going on?"

"Your father received the letter from Sloan yesterday evening that you were here and I drew up the battle plans," he explained rather excitedly. "We were going to attack anyway but knowing you were here, well we couldn't wait any longer."

"Battle plans?" She repeated in shock.

He nodded with a grin. "Yeah, we just raided their camp. We're going to force them into a surrender. We had them on their heels anyway."

"What? But they outnumber you!"

"Don't worry," he smiled with a wink. "We caught them off guard, and I think Shepherd will come over to our side pretty quickly." He yanked the ropes away from her with a final strong tug and lifted her into his arms. "Come on, I'll get you to my horse and then you can ride home."

"What about you?" She asked in concern.

"I have to stay and fight," he grinned. "Your father is counting on me."

He carried her to his horse and urged her to ride away from the camp. However, she sat upon Owen's horse, Lightning, paralysed. For as far as her eyes could see, men were fighting. It was a clash of blue and white, the royal colours, and burgundy and black, her family colours. She could see that her father's men were starting to lose the element of surprise but they were still faring well. She couldn't see Jackson and that worried her. What if they had slipped into his tent and slain him in his sleep? He was the King's best sword after all.

She desperately wanted to stay but she knew that she couldn't. It was far too dangerous. She didn't want to be anyone's bargaining chip. She gently kicked the horse with her heels and the beast set off in the direction that it had come.

April staggered through the grounds of their family castle and her mother took her into her arms and cried uncontrollably when she stepped into the great hall. Her sisters soon joined her and the four of them refused to let her out of their sight. They repeated over and over again that they thought that she was dead and gone. They told her that when they had heard about what had happened to Arrington, they had been devastated. Her mother tended to the cut on her lip and put her in the bath while they waited for the men to return.

"We truly thought you were dead," Karen whispered for the hundredth time as she eased her daughter into the hot water.

"I'm fine," April assured her with a smile. She grabbed her mother's hand and squeezed it tightly. "I am fine."

Karen grabbed a clean cloth and began to wash her girl's neck and shoulders. There were blemishes all over her body, little marks on her neck and collarbone and bruises in the shape of hand prints on her hips. She was beginning to piece together exactly what had been done to her daughter at the King's camp.

"April, sweetheart, were you—?"

April interrupted her quickly. "I'm fine. I promise."

Her mother was not convinced, and she continued to bathe her with a very careful expression.

* * *

It was hours later before they heard the steady gallop of hoofs.

Owen was the first one to step through the doors, escorted by two men, and he was dirty and bloody, but uninjured. His eyes immediately sought out Libby but he knew that he had important news to deliver first. "It is done," he declared with a sigh. "Most of their men are dead. The rest are captured. Shepherd turned, like we knew he would. Thomas Avery fled, and Sloan has returned to his throne in the east. North of the river remains independent."

Her mother cried out in relief as she pulled her three daughters closer. "Thank God! And my husband? Where is he?"

Owen slowly lowered himself down onto one knee. "I'm sorry, my lady. He died valiantly. We brought his body back for you, my lady."

Libby hugged their mother tightly, knowing that leadership would soon fall upon her, while April approached Owen. The death of her father hadn't sunk in yet, but all that she wanted was Jackson. She needed to know if he was alive or dead. "Where are the prisoners?"

"In the yard, my lady. We'll keep them in cells until your mother decides what she wants to do."

"Take me to them," she requested.

Owen opened his mouth to protest but he knew there was no use in arguing with her. He was going to give in regardless of how long they talked. "Follow me," he groaned.

He led her into the yard where she saw a string of men tied together...there were only fifty of them or so. She recognized several of them but Jackson was not one of them. "Is this it?" She asked quietly.

"Shepherd's men are free, they aren't prisoners. Well, and we have the Sword of the King," he grinned down at her.

April's eyes widened. "You have Lord Avery?"

Owen nodded. "He surrendered after Sloan did, which is a shame because I really wanted to have a go at him," he stated in disappointment. He was proud of his capture, but at the same time, he had always wanted to prove himself one on one with the so called best sword on this side of the sea.

"Where is he?" She asked frantically. "I want to see him."

"I already put him in the dungeon," he told her. She took off at his words but he caught her by the hand before she could get too far away. "April," he whispered. "Some of his men told me that you were given to him, so if you want me to take off his head, I will."

"No," she answered quickly. "He didn't hurt me, Owen."

She pulled her hand out of his grasp and raced down to the dungeon. She grabbed the key off of the wall and burst into the first cell. She found him sitting patiently against the wall with his hands in his lap. "You surrendered?" She asked him in disbelief. She remembered exactly what he had told her about surrender.

_"I wouldn't unless I knew that a much better life was waiting for me, which will never be the case." _

He looked up at her and smiled happily. He hadn't been sure that she was still alive, but he was glad that he had taken the chance. "I did, my lady," he answered cheekily.

She grinned as she walked towards him. "While you're sharing my bed, don't call me my lady."

Jackson laughed and slowly got to his feet. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist when she jumped into his embrace. She ran her hands all over his back and shoulders before she held his face between her hands and kissed him hungrily.

"I'm glad you're alive," she breathed as he pressed his forehead against hers.

"I'm sorry about your father," he replied solemnly. "It wasn't me, it's important to me that you know that."

"Thank you," she whispered. She kissed him again before she touched practically every inch of him. "Are you hurt?" He had a cut on his face but other than that he looked fine, but you couldn't be too careful.

He shook his head. "I am fine. Although I think that that red-headed bloke wants to kill me."

"He's harmless," she assured him with a laugh. "Now come on, I don't want to leave you to rot in a dungeon."

He threaded his fingers through hers and followed her wordlessly. She must have taken him through a quiet part of the castle because they did not pass a single person on their way to her chambers. They entered her bedroom and she bolted the door behind them.

"I didn't want to leave you," she confessed. "But I couldn't stay."

"I'm glad you didn't," he replied sternly. "I would have worried about you."

She approached him and placed her hands on his chest. "You surrendered," she repeated in disbelief.

"I surrendered," he confirmed with a bright smile.

She kissed him again as her hands urgently tore at his clothes.

"April," he groaned as she pulled him down onto her bed with her. He repeated her name like a chant as they shed their clothes and climbed underneath the thin sheets. "I'm yours. I'm all yours," he murmured against her neck.

The red-head wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders as he lay on top of her. The tips of her fingers danced across his beautiful skin as she looked up at him intently. "Will you stay here with me?"

He nodded slowly as he ran the tip of his nose along hers. "I want nothing more than to be with you."

She joined her mouth to his hungrily as her ankles slid along the back of his calves. She was desperate for him, she could feel him against her inner thigh, but he refused to give in. His tongue was in her mouth and his hands were in her hair, but he still would not give her what she really wanted. She arched her hips towards him and whimpered as her nails dug into his skin.

"Jackson," she muttered in arousal. "Please."

He groaned loudly and squeezed his eyes shut. She was actually begging for him. How was he supposed to resist that? He took her bottom lip between his teeth and pushed inside of her.

This time was different. Maybe because they weren't in his tent anymore, or maybe because there were no more secrets between them, or maybe it was because they had now each given a very important part to the other. April had given her virginity to him and Jackson had given up his sword for her. They were both altering, life changing decisions. They were a lot more than just _feelings _between them. Perhaps it had never been just sex.

Neither of them had been in love before so they had nothing to compare this feeling to, and somehow the pull between them felt a lot stronger than love. It was adoration...devotion...it was awe. It was...everything.

April panted against the damp skin of his neck as she came down from an immense high. She giggled as he peppered kisses along her jaw. She responded with a quick kiss to his shoulder and a gentle stroke of his back.

"I missed you," she whispered even though they had not been apart for that long.

He kissed her before he answered. "I missed you too." He slowly manoeuvred himself onto his back but kept his body entwined with hers. April lay cuddled against his chest as he ran his fingers through her hair. "How does it feel to be a lady of the castle again?" He asked after a moment.

She laughed softly as she tickled his stomach. "How does it feel to be a prisoner?" She retorted.

"So far," he chuckled huskily, "it's sublime." She quickly pressed her mouth against his as her hand skipped below his waist. "You're a lot bolder than I thought you were," he told her. "You seem much more comfortable now."

She supposed that was true. It was freeing that he finally knew who she was. She felt like she could finally be herself around him, her true self. "Well, I feel like I don't have to play a role for you anymore," she admitted in a whisper.

He furrowed his brow. "Is that what you thought you were doing?"

"At first," she nodded. "But then I realized how sweet you are."

He rolled his eyes and grunted. "I am not sweet," he argued.

"Yes, you are," she giggled.

Their banter was interrupted by a loud knock on the bedroom door. "April!"

"It's my sister," she told Jackson quietly. "Yes Libby!"

"We need to talk," her older sister called quietly.

April slowly slipped out of bed and pulled on a thin dressing gown. She approached the door and carefully opened it. "Yes, Libby?" She asked quietly.

"It's important. I need to come in."

April took a step back and allowed her sister to step inside. Libby's eyes immediately zeroed in on the naked man in the bed. "Oh my," she gasped.

Jackson smiled charmingly and sent her a small wave. "Jackson Avery, nice to meet you."

Libby turned to her sister in horror and disbelief. "Do you realize that you have the Sword of the King in your bed?"

April nodded and chuckled. "Yes, I do."

"We've been looking for him. Owen thought he escaped but he's right here. He's been right here," she repeated slowly. "Well that's good I guess...that he's still here," she rambled to herself.

"Is Owen the ginger?" Jackson asked April curiously.

April nodded before she turned back to Libby. "There's no need to keep him in the dungeon. He's clearly not a threat."

"I am not," Jackson reinforced with a bright smile. "In fact, I'd like to help train your army, if that's a possibility."

Libby shook her head to get rid of some of the confusion. "I think you need to put him back in the dungeon...before Mother finds out."

Jackson watched the two sisters stare at each other in a stand off and he could tell that something wasn't quite right. "Um," he began tentatively, "maybe I should go back to the dungeon. Just in case." He slid out of the bed and watched the older Kepner shield her eyes. He pulled on his trousers and placed his hands on his hips. "I can go back to the dungeon, April. I don't mind." He liked to think that he was much more valuable alive than dead. He was still the best sword on this side of the sea, and he had peacefully surrendered. So hopefully he wouldn't be stuck in the dungeon for long anyway.

Maybe he could convince that ginger not to kill him.

He fully redressed before he stepped up to April and placed both of his hands on her shoulders. "I'll go back to the dungeon for now. It's the proper thing to do," he smirked. He kissed her heatedly before he added playfully, "Come visit me sometime."

She couldn't stop herself from laughing at him, he had the most inappropriate sense of humour. She placed her hands on his waist and kissed him one more time before she was willing to let him go. "Okay," she whispered.

Jackson turned around to face Libby with a smile. "I'm assuming there's now a guard on the other side of that door?" She nodded and he grinned. "Great! I'll just ask him to escort me back to my cell."

He quietly left the room and Libby turned her shocked expression back towards her sister. "What is going on?" She demanded. "You were his prisoner," she reminded her in disgust.

"It's complicated," April tried to explain. "He never laid a hand on me...not in a harmful way. He's not the bad guy."

Libby huffed and looked down at her feet. She did not understand what was going on and it was clear that she wasn't going to anytime soon, so she changed the subject. "Owen and I are going to be wed. Father made him a knight during the war so it's considered acceptable now."

"That's great," April told her genuinely. "I'm happy for you. He'll be a really good ruler."

Libby nodded repeatedly before speaking again. "Come on, we have to go talk to Mother."

* * *

Jackson looked up as he heard the key in the door and the creak of the heavy door being pushed open. He hoped that it was April, but he was quickly disappointed. He slowly stood up and politely bowed. "Lady Kepner."

"Lord Avery," she replied in a much less respectful tone. "I never thought I would have you in my dungeon."

He chuckled. "I never thought I would be in any dungeon."

She took a seat on a chair that a solider had brought in for her and looked at him with narrowed eyes. "And I have no idea what to do with you. I'm trying to figure out what my husband would do."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Jackson stated sincerely.

"Thank you," Karen replied quietly. "Now, what to do with you...and my daughter..."

Jackson smiled at the mention of April. "April is really—"

The Kepner matriarch cut him off before he could say anything else. "Do not talk about my daughter."

He pursed his lips and bowed his head in confusion. He hadn't expected such hostility but perhaps he reminded her of his father in the same way that April had reminded Thomas Avery of her mother.

"My eldest daughter, Elizabeth, will be wed soon, which is such a relief," she continued. "I was truly worried that I would never find an appropriate husband for her. Her husband needed to be strong and firm and noble, but you also need to be levelheaded and kind to rule north of the river. It is incredibly difficult to find all of those qualities in one man. Joseph and I had always known that marrying Elizabeth would be a challenge. April, on the other hand," she sighed, "I was never worried about finding her a husband. She's just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside and I knew that noble men would line up for miles for her...and then this war happened," she stated solemnly. "And now I don't know who will want to marry her. Most men want a virgin bride."

Jackson cleared his throat, "Well, I was hoping that I—"

"I hope you don't have the gall to finish that sentence," Karen stated sternly. "You must be mad if you think that I'm going to let a man who fought against my husband marry my daughter." She laughed darkly before she spoke again, "I would never let the man who defiled her, marry her, especially since that man is you. You're just like your father."

"I am nothing like my father," he snapped.

Karen smiled sadly as an old memory resurfaced. "Your father used to tell me he was nothing like your grandfather. Did that turn out to be true?"

Jackson swallowed harshly and remained silent. Apparently his father had tried to be somebody else when he was younger too, but the truth was that he _was_ just like his grandfather.

Karen slowly rose to her feet and that signalled that this conversation was at a close. "Lord Avery, I have no intention of keeping you in this dungeon, or sentencing you for that matter, but you will never be allowed near my daughter again."

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**A/N: So their roles are somewhat reversed now. Please leave a review! :)**


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